Between the World and Me Analysis

Ta-Nehisi Coates

Read the text and thoughtfully answer the questions in a different font color.

1. Ta-Nehisi Coates begins with a scene where the police stop him in his car.
How does he build suspense in this opening paragraph? Specifically, how does he blend
what is happening to him externally and what is going through his mind? What makes
this strategy effective?
- By starting with this story, Coates was able to build suspense because it
immediately grabbed the reader’s attention. The reader didn’t know what was
going to happen so it made them want to keep reading. He blends what is
happening to him externally to everything that’s happening in his mind by
weaving them together. He explains what’s going on externally, and then
discusses everything that’s running through his mind. He addresses all of the
things that he was raised seeing and thinking and how it’s going through his
mind now, and all that he’s heard about this police force. He writes about the
things he’s thinking could happen to him, and this builds interest as well.

2. What is the rhetorical situation of this letter? Consider the broader context of a father
writing to his teenage son, but then also consider that this letter is not a traditional
letter: it is a book-length work that Coates wrote with the intention of publishing, and it
is therefore a public document. To what extent are these aspects of the context at odds
with each other?
- These two different styles of writing are at odds with each other because of the
varying amounts of publicity they would normally receive. A letter is typically
addressed to one person or a small group of people, while a novel is intended to
be read by thousands. It creates an interesting reading experience because it
feels like it is almost addressed to the reader even though we know it isn’t, but it
creates a personal story that feels less like it’s directed to a broad audience, and
more directed towards a single person.

3. In paragraph 5, Coates comments on the concept of “‘police reform’” -- which he places

in quotes. What is his assessment of its value? To what extent might such an appraisal
alienate his readers? Why might he be willing to take that chance?
- I think he believes that while it is a good thing, there isn’t enough that is being
done to correct police behavior. While people say things are being done, not
enough things are being accomplished with the measures they’re taking. An
evaluation like this might alienate his readers because they might not agree
 with his opinion. They may believe that the current measures are accomplishing
a lot. I think he’d be willing to take that chance because he’s saying these things
based on his own experiences, and it’s also a letter for his son. While it was
written as a novel, it’s directed towards his son and so he’s writing as he would if
he were talking to his son.

4. What effect does Coates’s use of figurative language have on the emotional appeal of
his argument ? Consider at least four examples. For instance, “The earthquake cannot
be subpoenaed. The typhoon will not bend under indictment” (para. 9).
- Coates’s use of figurative language has a large effect on the emotional appeal of
his argument. His use of imagery and symbolism paints a more vivid picture in
the reader’s mind, and they are better able to put themselves in his shoes.THey
are able to visualize themselves in the position where he is describing his
situation, and in other cases, it is able to create a different connotation and a
stronger emotional aspect that will draw the readers in more. When he says “the
earthquake cannot be subpoenaed,” it is more dramatic and makes the situation
seem more intense and dramatic as well.

5. Note how Coates addresses the passage of time throughout this excerpt, indicating
multiple shifts with phrases such as “Shortly before you were born” (para. 1), “Days
late” (para. 4), “At this moment” (para. 5), “Weeks wore on” (para. 7), and “In those
days” (para. 21). What is the effect of continually shifting between present, immediate
past, and distant past? How do these structural shifts serve Coates’s purpose?
- As a result of continually shifting between present, immediate, past, and distant
past, Coates is able to tie the entire letter together. He is able to connect current
events with distant past events, and immediate past with distant past. It is used
to show the similarities between the situations during these different times, and
create a more balanced letter/novel. As previously mentioned, these structural
shifts serve Coates’s purpose because he is able to link all of these events
together and show how similar things have remained.

6. Some critics have argued that although Between the World and Me is a direct address to
his son, Coates is actually crafting his message for a wider (mostly white) audience, as
his position would likely be familiar to his family and to other African Americans. Based
on this excerpt, who do you think is the audience for Between the World and Me?
Consider how Coates establishes his ethos, and support your response with specific
reference to the text.
- I think that it was intended more for a wider audience. While I do believe that he
wants his son to read it as a letter, he did expect and want it to be published and
read by as many people as possible. It may be addressed and written specifically
 to his son, but the language used and the writing style used sounds more formal
than a letter to a child might sound. It sounds like it was written as a novel, and
then simply addressed to a specific person. I think that he chose to do this
because then readers feel more like it’s directed at them, but not so much that it
could feel like an attack. With the letter being addressed to his son, those who
are easily offended regarding this subject would be more likely to just view it as
a letter to his son, while others may see things that they also would like to see a
change in.

7. Although Coates is developing a strong and logical argument, he primarily structures it

as a narrative, or story. Why do you think this rhetorical strategy is or is not effective?
- I think that the use of this style is effective because it makes it seem more
personal and something that is more interesting. I personally like books that are
written from a 1st person point of view rather than a 3rd because I think it makes
the story more interesting and relatable. You can better visualize yourself in the
situations and it makes it more enjoyable. I believe that the use of a story style
was important because it opened the book up to a wider audience. If it had been
written in a normal novel format, then I believe that the audience would be
smaller and would probably include people who were more interested in the
subject and who were already looking for a change. With this format, it
addresses people who may or may not be interested in this, and it could draw
more people in.

8. One reviewer described Coates’s style as “a departure from the rhetoric of the civil
rights movement, or at least the civil rights movement that has been sanitized and
commercialized for mass consumption. Because of these departures, Coates’s hope
feels stark and brutal.” Do you agree or disagree with this characterization of his
rhetoric? Explain with specific reference to the text.
- While I think that this characterization is very “...stark and brutal…” I would
agree with this. I believe that most of the stories and news articles we read
about this civil rights issue are made to calm people down or just make it seem
like it isn’t a very big deal. In his letter, he lays out the facts and addresses his
own experiences. He tells his son/audience what he’s been through and how it
has affected him. The readers are able to receive a firsthand account describing
what he’s been through, and this shows us another point of view. When there
are stories of police brutality, there are normally two very different sides that
you will hear, and this was another viewpoint we got to learn about and see.
From The Language of Composition 3rd Edition (pages 995-997)